Toilet bowl ventilation system odor extractor

ABSTRACT

A toilet odor elimination system is provided. The toilet odor elimination system is adapted to direct airflow from a toilet space circumscribed by toilet bowl for discharge the directed airflow into an external space, preventing the toilet odor from escaping the toilet space by directly eliminating the toilet odor there from.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisionalapplication No. 62/283,961, filed 16 Sep. 2015, the contents of whichare herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to ventilation systems and, moreparticularly, to a ventilation system adapted to direct airflow from atoilet bowl for discharge outside, preventing any odorous airflow fromescaping from the toilet bowl by eliminating odor from the source.

Flush toilets, it goes without say, have for long been a source ofmalodorous odors. Current bathroom ventilation systems incorporateexhaust fans designed to discharge such toilet odor only after it hasfilled the bathroom or area surrounding the toilets. The effect is toexpose a user of the toilet to foul-smelling, pungent and rank odors, asa matter of course, and then noisily and inefficiently expelling theodor. Further extending exposure time to such toilet odor lingers asthey can cling to surrounding surfaces, including the clothing fabric ofthe user.

As can be seen, there is a need for a ventilation system adapted todirect airflow from a toilet bowl for discharge outside, preventing anyodorous airflow from escaping from the toilet bowl by eliminating odorfrom the source.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a system for venting odors froma toilet space circumscribed by a toilet bowl, wherein the toilet bowlprovides a pivotally connected toilet seat movable from an opencondition to a closed condition adapted for seating a user on the toiletseat, said system includes a seat gasket attached to an underside of thetoilet seat so as to create a seal between the toilet bowl and theunderside of the toilet seat in the closed condition; a vent ductfluidly interconnecting the toilet space and an external space; a cutoutprovided by the seat gasket, wherein the cutout is dimensioned andadapted to snugly receive the vent duct; and a pump or vacuumselectively connected to the vent duct for urging an airflowtherethrough.

In another aspect of the present invention, the system may include aseat switch disposed between the vent duct and the toilet seat, whereinthe seat switch is configured to operate the pump or vacuum, wherein theseat switch is configured to selectively operate the pump or vacuum onlywhen seating the user on the toilet seat.

In yet another aspect of the present invention may include a toiletspacer interconnecting the seat gasket and the underside of the toiletseat for accommodating the seat switch; a manual switch disposed neartoilet seat, wherein the manual switch is configured to operate the pumpor vacuum; a remote switch configured to remotely operate the pump orvacuum; a duct opening provided by the vent duct, wherein the ductopening is disposed in the toilet space; a urine guard disposed along aportion of the duct opening; a vacuum chamber interconnecting the ventduct and the exterior space; at least one exhaust duct interconnectingthe vacuum chamber and the exterior space; or a filter disposed in thevacuum chamber or the at least one exhaust duct.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdrawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, shown in use;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged front perspective view of an exemplary embodimentof the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention, taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram view of an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merelyfor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention,since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a toilet odorelimination system adapted to direct airflow from a toilet spacecircumscribed by toilet bowl for discharge into an external space,preventing any odorous airflow from escaping the toilet space byeliminating odor from the source.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 6, the present invention may include aventilation system 10 adapted to direct airflow from a toilet space toan external space. The toilet space is the area generally circumscribedby a toilet bowl 12 or a toilet having a pivotally connected toilet seat13 movable from an open condition to a closed condition adapted forseating a user on the toilet seat 13.

The ventilation system 10 may include a seat gasket 15 dimensioned andadapted to attach along a toilet seat spacer 14 (or along the undersideof the toilet seat 13) so as to maintain a first predetermine distancebetween a toilet bowl rim 11 and the underside of the toilet seat 13and/or toilet seat spacer 14. It should be understood that the toiletseat spacer 14 may be pre-existing to a toilet seat 13, making thepresent invention adaptable for pre-existing toilets. The toilet seatspacer 14, alternatively, may be part of the present invention that isattached along the underside of the toilet seat 13 so as to maintain asecond predetermine distance between a toilet bowl rim 11 and theunderside of the toilet seat 13. The seat gasket 15 may provide a cutoutdimensioned and adapted snugly receive a vent duct 18 so that when thetoilet seat 13 is in a closed condition an airtight seal is formedbetween the toilet bowl rim 11, the seat gasket 15, the toilet seat 13and/or toilet seat spacer 14 and the vent duct 18.

The vent duct 18 may provide a duct opening 19. The vent duct 18 mayhave a height less than or equal to the first predetermine distance soas to protrude through the cutout and above the toilet space so that theduct opening 19 is fluidly connected to the toilet space. The vent ductmay also be fluidly connected to a vacuum chamber 20. The vacuum chamber20 is connected to at least one exhaust duct 24, 33 that directs anairflow 60 and discharges the airflow 60 out through an exhaust vent 34disposed in an exterior space 30, typically far removed from the spacehousing the toilet bowl 12, preferably to an outside environment. A ventpump/vacuum 36 may be fluidly connected, directly or indirectly, to thevacuum chamber 20 so to provide sufficient pressure to urge the airflow60 of airborne odors disposed in the toilet space through the vent duct18, and then through the exhaust duct 24, 33 and the exhaust vent 34.The exhaust ducts 24, 33 may be part of a system of exhaust ductsinterconnected and adapted to operatively engage a plurality of toiletbowls 12.

The vacuum chamber 20 may include end caps 22 to provide access thereto.In certain embodiments, the vacuum chamber 20 may provide a removablecover 32 so that the vacuum chamber 20 may be accessed for, among otherthings, disposing a filter 56, therein. Alternatively, the filter 56 maybe disposed along the exhaust duct 24, 33. The filters 56 may be able tofilter out any odor associated with the airflow 60.

In certain embodiments, a urine guard 19 may be disposed along aperiphery of the duct opening 19 so as to shield the duct opening 19from liquids having a downwardly or straightforward trajectory.

In certain embodiments, a seat switch 16 may be disposed between thevent duct 18 and the underside of the toilet seat 13 (secondpredetermined distance) so that while in the closed condition, theventilation system 10 would be operative. Alternatively, the seat switch16 may be adapted to operate the ventilation system 10 only whensufficient mass, such by a user of the toilet 12, is disposed on thetoilet seat 13. In certain embodiments, a manual switch 35 may bedisposed so as to be operable by the user on the toilet seat 13. Eachswitch 16 and 35 may provide appropriate wiring 29 so that they mayelectromechanically may operate the vent pump/vacuum 36. Alternatively,a wireless transmitter 48 coupled to a remote control switch 52 may beadapted to interface with a wireless receiver 50 coupled to the ventpump/vacuum 36 so as to remotely and/or programmably operate theventilation system 10, as illustrated in FIG. 6.

A method of using the present invention may include the following. Theventilation system disclosed above may be provided. When a user of thetoilet bowl 12 assumes a seated position on the toilet seat 13 in theclosed condition a general seal is formed by the user, the toilet seat13 and the toilet rim 11 of the space circumscribed by the toilet bowl12 (toilet space) so that when the vent pump/vacuum 36 is selectivelyengaged by at least one of switches 16, 35, or 52, the airflow withinsuch toilet space is urged through the vent duct 18 and directed to theexternal space 30, preventing any odorous airflow from escaping from thetoilet space by eliminating odor directly therefrom.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for venting odors from a toilet spacecircumscribed by a toilet bowl, wherein the toilet bowl provides apivotally connected toilet seat movable from an open condition to aclosed condition adapted for seating a user on the toilet seat, saidsystem comprising: a seat gasket attached to an underside of the toiletseat so as to create a seal between the toilet bowl and the underside ofthe toilet seat in the closed condition; a vent duct fluidlyinterconnecting the toilet space and an external space; a cutoutprovided by the seat gasket, wherein the cutout is dimensioned andadapted to snugly receive the vent duct; and a pump or vacuumselectively connected to the vent duct for urging an airflowtherethrough.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a seat switchdisposed between the vent duct and the toilet seat, wherein the seatswitch is configured to operate the pump or vacuum.
 3. The system ofclaim 2, wherein the seat switch is configured to selectively operatethe pump or vacuum only when seating the user on the toilet seat.
 4. Thesystem of claim 2, further comprising a toilet spacer interconnectingthe seat gasket and the underside of the toilet seat for accommodatingthe seat switch.
 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a manualswitch disposed near toilet seat, wherein the manual switch isconfigured to operate the pump or vacuum.
 6. The system of claim 1,further comprising a remote switch configured to remotely operate thepump or vacuum.
 7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a ductopening provided by the vent duct, wherein the duct opening is disposedin the toilet space.
 8. The system of claim 7, further comprising aurine guard disposed along a portion of the duct opening.
 9. The systemof claim 1, further comprising a vacuum chamber interconnecting the ventduct and the exterior space.
 10. The system of claim 9, furthercomprising at least one exhaust duct interconnecting the vacuum chamberand the exterior space.
 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising afilter disposed in the vacuum chamber or the at least one exhaust duct.